Target setting and reporting

Activities in this area aim at providing assistance to Parties in setting targets and target dates, as stipulated in the article 6 of the Protocol. To this end, the Task Force on Target Setting and Reporting, led by Switzerland, established at the first session of the Meeting of the Parties, prepared the Guidelines on the setting of targets, evaluation of progress and reporting .

The first reporting cycle conducted under the Protocol in 2009/2010 demonstrated that remarkable progress has been done by Parties and substantial experience is available. At the same time several challenges remained, in particular related to difficulties with cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination of activities among different authorities responsible for management of water resources, water supply, sanitation and health; as well as prioritization of activities, and involvement of the public in the implementation of the Protocol.

The second reporting cycle was held in 2012/2013. The third session of the Meeting of the Parties, that took place on the 25-27 November 2013, evaluated progress in implementing the Protocol on the basis of the summary reports provided by Parties. The outcomes of the reporting cycle demonstrated increased compliance with the guidelines and template for summary reports and improved overall quality of submitted reports as compared with the pilot reporting exercise conducted in 2009−2010.

The third reporting cycle will be conducted in 2015/2016.

Activities under this area of work focus on supporting implementation of articles 6 and 7 and the development of good practices. In particular, the Task Force on Target Setting and Reporting is to guide, overview and promote the exchange of lessons learned and good practice gathered through a pan-European programme of exchange of experience in water and health within small groups of countries with similar conditions and challenges, possibly neighbouring countries. To this end, a number of subregional workshops were organized, under the leadership of the Parties:

Some Parties have already set targets and target dates to fulfil their international obligations and pave the way for comprehensive implementation of the Protocol. In 2011, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have issued their publication regarding the setting of targets and target dates under the Protocol.